Mirzakhani blazed to the top of her field due to her talent. But who she was and where she came from also make her a role model for those from underrepresented demographics in the world of math.
Society, parents, schools and popular media all perpetuate the myth that girls don’t have the brains or ability to be scientists. Of course, that simply isn’t true.
Letters from would-be girl astronauts in the 1960s tell part of the complicated story of sexism – in both NASA and the US at large – at the dawn of the space age.
Most people have a very limited understanding of what engineers do – and we engineers don’t do a good job of expanding that view. But if we did, the benefits could be impressive.
Men still outnumber women in senior positions in Australian universities and other workplaces. Women are pushing for change but it’s men who can help redress the gender balance.
The drive the get more women involved in science should start at an early age. But as one space researcher found out, girls can get nudged out of science at school.
Getting more women into science, technology, engineering and maths fields is a process that involves many parts of a society. Several African countries are setting the pace.
The FIRST robotics competition brings school students together to build a robot to complete a challenge. And it’s an inspiring way to encourage interest in STEM.